Insulator and socket assembly for fluorescent tubes



g- 9, 1955 J. A. HOWENSTINE 2,715,216

INSULATOR AND SOCKET ASSEMBLY FOR FLUORESCENT TUBES Filed Oct. 18, 1952INVENTOR. JAMES A. HOWENST/NE I :lQ.5. y:

United States Patent INSULATOR AND SOCKET ASSEMBLY FOR FLUORESCENT TUBESJames A. Howenstine, Lima, Ohio, assignor to Neon Products, Inc., Lima,Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application October 18, 1952, Serial No.315,501

1 Claim. (Cl. 339275) This invention relates to insulators provided withsockets adapted for use at the ends of tubular fluorescent lights toboth support the lights and provide a means for connecting the lights tooperating voltage.

An abject of this invention is to provide an insulator having a socketand a spring so arranged that when a pair of insulators is placed toreceive the opposite ends of a tubular fluorescent light, the light isyieldingly supported thereby and provided with positive electricalcontact with the voltage conductors connected thereto.

A further object of this invention is to provide an insulator of thistype in which the lead-in wire and terminal contact are housed inside asturdy insulator body.

A further object of this invention is to provide a socket which issimple and inexpensive to construct and which is strong and durable.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will in partbe obvious, and will in part be apparent from the following detaileddescription, and the drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, partly broken away and in sectionshowing a tubular fluorescent light supported at its ends in socketsformed in insulators constructed in accordance with embodiments of thisinvention;

Fig. 2 is a view in section taken along a line II--II in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing a terminal contact which forms apart of the socket and insulator as sembly;

Fig. 4 is a view in lengthwise section of the contact member in place atan end of a conductor wire; and

Fig. 5 is a view in section taken along a line V-V in Fig. 4.

In the following detailed description, and the drawing, like referencecharacters indicate like parts.

In Fig. l a tubular fluorescent tube of the instant start type andhaving electrode or terminal lugs 12 at its opposite ends, is shownsupported by insulators 13 and 14. Insulators 13 and 14 are providedwith sockets 15 and 16, respectively, for receiving the terminal lugs 12of the tube.

The insulators 13 and 14 are supported by angle members 17 and 18,respectively. Each insulator is made of suitable refractory such assuitable fire clay or porcelain.

The insulator 14 comprises a shank 19 having a disclike flange or head21 at one end. Socket 116 in the head end of insulator 14, has adiameter sufficient to provide ample room for one of the terminal lugs12. The insulator 14 is provided with a bore 22 which extends throughthe head and shank thereof to accommodate an insulated lead-in wire 23.The socket 16 is formed by a counterbore portion at the head endthereof.

The bare or stripped end 23 of the lead-in wire 23 extends into acontact member 24 of funnel-shape. The bare end of the lead-in wire isreceived in an elongated shank 26 of contact member 24. As shown in Fig.5, the shank of the contact member is crirnped or squeezed onto the bareend of the wire to hold the contact member on the wire. After contactmember 24 has been thus secured to the exposed lead-in wire, it isdipped in molten solder metal so that a thin coat 27 of solder metal isformed on the surface of the contact member. Solder metal also fills theinterstices between conductor wire 23' and the shank 26 of the contactmember.

Contact member 24 has an enlarged head 28 that nests in the socket 16,as shown in Fig. 1. The conductor is held in place with the head of thecontact member in socket 16 by means of a clip 31. As shown in Figs. 1and 2, clip 31 includes a channel-shaped metal strip 32 and plates 33 offibre board or other similar insulating material. The outer edges of thefibre board strips 33 are held in the channel member 32, while the inneredges thereof grip the insulation carried portion of the conductor 23.The channel member 32 holds the strips 33 in engagement with theconductor 23. The clip 31 engages the rear or outer end of insulator 14to hold the socket member in position.

In order that insulator 14 may be yieldably supported in angle plate 18to facilitate the placing of light tube 10 therein or removing ittherefrom, the shank of insulator 14 is provided with a coil spring 36and a retainer 37. The spring embraces the shank of the insulator andbears on angle plate 18. The retainer fits in a groove 38 in theinsulator and is engageable with the opposite face of angle plate 18.When the insulator is mounted in a hole or aperture 41 in one flange 42of the angle plate 18, the spring is located between the flanged head 21and the flange 42. When insulator shank 19 extends through opening 41,spring 36 is compressed and is held in compression when the retainer 37has been placed as shown.

The insulator 13 is generally of the same construction as the insulator14 with the exception that the shank 43 thereof is shorter than theshank of insulator 14 and the insulator 13 has no spring for resilientlysupporting the same. Thus, insulator 13 is stationary in its supportingflange 44, While insulator 14 may be pushed to the right as shown inFig. l, to compress spring 36 when lamp is to be inserted or removed.

The socket, insulator and spring arrangement shown supports tubularfluorescent lights conveniently at their opposite ends while at the sametime providing positive electric contact therefor.

The socket insulators described above and illustrated in the drawing aresubject to structural modification without departing from the spirit andscope of the appended claim.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protectby Letters Patent is:

A terminal for an end of an electrical conductor which comprises atubular funnel-shaped contact member having an elongated shank and anenlarged flared end portion, one end of the conductor extending into theshank of the contact member and terminating at the flared end portionthereof, and a thin coating of solder covering the inner and outersurfaces of the flared end and shank of said funnel-shaped member, thesolder surface adjacent said conductor joining the shank and conductorand securing the contact member on the conductor and forming anelectrical connection therebetween, said coating covering the end ofsaid conductor at the base of said flared portion of the contact member.

References titted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,039,542 Kennington Sept. 24, 1912 1,198,500 Wilcox Sept. 19, 19162,258,343 Walker Oct. 7, 1941 2,626,976 Howerstine Jan. 27, 1953

